The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-05-21
Jeff. DAVIS AT MERIDIAN.

which Mr.. Davis was expected, the
Gro vd began to assemble a the depot.
They KEEP. coming by couples, by
squads and by dozens, and finally by
companies, lntil the vast throng
numbered Jour OF five thousand peo'
ple of all sizes. ages and conditions,
from the babe in arms to the wink
led and paleied old sreat-gfano-moth-
err, from the beggar in rags to the
rich man in his coach, all eager, anX-
ious and expectant. The long whistle
of the locomotive was responded to
by the old rehel yell, which pwelled
and grew louder as the train neared
the depot, until where 1t stopped, and
Mr.. Davis made his appearance on
the platform of the sleeper, the
cheers that went up from the thous-
ands of threats shook the very earth
and was q spontaneous attesiation of
the great loVe we Mississlppians still
bear for our grand old c%hieftain-
fallen though he be--and the cause
though lost~he SO faithfully upheld.
Gen. Waltha!l and Col. Mcintosh
assisted him to alight, and leaning
on the Generals arm, with heads
uncovered, they passed between two
lines of little girls, who streWed their
pathway with beautiful flowers, to an
open carriage. With the Meridian
Rifles in their splendid uniforms,
with.glistening guns and Furnished
bayonets, Immediately in the wake
Of the carriage, the procession gtnrted
for the home of Col. McIntosh(whose
guest Mr.. Davis was during his stay
followed by the vast throng, The
cheeringwas continuousand irrepres-
sible. Men and boys crowded around
the carriage as it moved along to
shake Mr.. Davis band. The distance
to the residence of Col. Mcintosh was
not inconsiderable, the day was
warm and the dust almost unheara-
bio, but the enthusiasm of thn multi
tude never tagged. The street and
the sidewalks were packed with a
struggling mass of humanity, each
integral part of which seemed imbued
with an excited desire to get closer
10 the object of general interest.
Quite a number of negroes If all ages
and both X We're included, and
seemed to have fully caught the
contagion of enthusiastic excitement
that ~pervaded the whites. Hurrying
along the sidewalk was q crowd of
some ten Or twelve of them, men and
women, in one body. "Well, l seed
Mars jeff" said one. ayes | seed
Mars Je1f,' was the general response.
"Well, who is he, Anyhow queried
one of the younger. "He'g de presi-
dent" replied an old gray-headed
darkey. "No he amt de president,
he's gwine to be de second president"
this from a woman. The crowd
followed the carriage until its desti-
nation was reached, and remained
until the distinguished guest had
retired within the portals aud was
hidden from view.
The next morning Miss Winnie
Davis, 'the daughter Of the Confed-
eracy," arrived from Chattanooga,
and with her illustrious father held
a reception at Col. M%cIntosh's. Miss
Winnie is in every respect q worthy
daughter of q noble sire. Tall and
com handing. Of a majestic presence,
she Is at once the hands0mest and
%queenliest woman this scribe has
ever seen. The poise Of her head
and neck is simply Undesirable, but
the i'm preston on the behOlder is at
once that he is no common presence.
She appeared at the banquet that
night in a magnificent ball costume,
low neck aud short sleeves, and her
superb neck was encircled by a daz-
zlingly brilliant necklace Of Iustrous
diamonds. Her escort on this Occa-
sion was our handsome State Supt,
Of Education, Hon. j. II. Preston,
and it was q subject of general re.
mark that they were the handsomesi
couple IN the hall.
In the afternoon succeeding his
arrival, Mr.. Davis appeared at the
1nl1rt hnnln "a mar hpnttNVt, -